WEST PALM BEACH — Families impacted by the Federal Government shutdown could qualify for free or reduced lunch due to a temporary reduction in household income. The District offers a nutritious lunch to include fruits, vegetables, 100 percent juice, and low-fat or skim milk for $2.05 at elementary schools and $2.30 at secondary schools. However, […]

]]>WEST PALM BEACH — Families impacted by the Federal Government shutdown could qualify for free or reduced lunch due to a temporary reduction in household income.

The District offers a nutritious lunch to include fruits, vegetables, 100 percent juice, and low-fat or skim milk for $2.05 at elementary schools and $2.30 at secondary schools. However, all families can apply to receive free or reduced-price lunches ($.40 per lunch).

Applications can be completed online by clicking “Meal Applications” on PalmBeachSchools.org or at the school. School Food Service is ready to quickly process any application submitted.

Breakfast is free to all students in Palm Beach County who attend a school serviced by School Food Service, regardless of financial need.

WEST PALM BEACH — U.S. Rep. Brian Mast and State Rep. Matt Willhite, who both were re-elected to second terms in November, will be the keynote speakers at the Palm Beach State College fall commencement ceremonies for more than 3,000 expected graduates. The ceremonies are set for Dec. 19 at the South Florida Fair Expo […]

]]>WEST PALM BEACH — U.S. Rep. Brian Mast and State Rep. Matt Willhite, who both were re-elected to second terms in November, will be the keynote speakers at the Palm Beach State College fall commencement ceremonies for more than 3,000 expected graduates.

The ceremonies are set for Dec. 19 at the South Florida Fair Expo Center in West Palm Beach. Rep. Mast will speak at the 9:30 a.m. ceremony for the graduates of the associate in science, bachelor of applied science and bachelor of science degree programs and the certificate programs. Rep. Willhite, a PBSC alumnus, will speak at the 2 p.m. ceremony for graduates of the associate in arts transfer degree. Both ceremonies will be streamed live at www.palmbeachstate.edu.

Special to the Lake Okeechobee NewsU.S. Rep. Brian Mast will be a keynote speaker at the Palm Beach State College fall commencement ceremonies.

Mast represents the 18th Congressional District. Prior to his first election to Congress in 2016, he served in the U.S. Army for more than 12 years. While deployed in Afghanistan, he worked as a bomb disposal expert under the elite Joint Special Operations Command.

Special to the Lake Okeechobee NewsState Rep. Matt Willhite will be a keynote speaker at the Palm Beach State College fall commencement ceremonies.

Willhite was elected to serve the Village of Wellington as a councilman and vice mayor in 2008. He won his first successful bid in 2016 to represent District 86 in the Florida House of Representatives. He is currently the acting chair of the Palm Beach County Legislative Delegation and chair of the Florida Veterans and Military Families Caucus. Willhite served for eight years in the United States Navy as a corpsman, and he has spent the last 22 years as an employee with Palm Beach County Fire Rescue where he holds the rank of captain. He is the only active duty firefighter in the Florida Legislature.

BELLE GLADE — South Florida Fair and Yesteryear Village sponsored an art contest to create a sculpture for Spookyville in Yesteryear Village. The contest was open to schools, groups, organizations or individual artists. The challenge was to create a sculpture that was at least 60 inches tall, made of recycled materials that could stand on […]

]]>BELLE GLADE — South Florida Fair and Yesteryear Village sponsored an art contest to create a sculpture for Spookyville in Yesteryear Village. The contest was open to schools, groups, organizations or individual artists. The challenge was to create a sculpture that was at least 60 inches tall, made of recycled materials that could stand on its own, and was weather-resistant. The theme of the South Florida Fair is Super Heroes.

Special to the Lake Okeechobee News/GES Gove’s Art Club assisted in creating the super hero, the Hulk.

Gove Elementary is recognized as a Green School of Excellence for its eco-friendly activities and conservation education. The big green Incredible Hulk seemed like an obvious choice for the sculpture. The entire school contributed recycled and repurposed materials. The art club assisted in the process.

Special to the Lake Okeechobee News/GES Special thanks go to Jill Schmidt, Gove’s art teacher, for designing and supervising the construction of the project.

The result was a not-so-scary Hulk they could all be proud of and it won first place in the competition. Special thanks go to Jill Schmidt, Gove’s art teacher, for designing and supervising the construction of the project. Congratulations to everyone involved!

BELLE GLADE — Students, staff and families turned out in record numbers to enjoy the fourth annual Trunk or Treat event at Pioneer Park Elementary School (PPES). The staff went all out to decorate their trunks, but the witches of third and fourth grades really stole the show. The cows made the first grade proud […]

]]>BELLE GLADE — Students, staff and families turned out in record numbers to enjoy the fourth annual Trunk or Treat event at Pioneer Park Elementary School (PPES). The staff went all out to decorate their trunks, but the witches of third and fourth grades really stole the show.

The cows made the first grade proud with their, Click, Clack Moo decorations and costumes. Parents were so thankful for a safe place for their children to trick or treat.

Red Ribbon week which supports saying “no” to drugs, was celebrated all week in style at PPES. They “Turned our backs on drugs” by wearing their shirts backward, “Put a Cap on drugs” by wearing caps to school, “Socked it to drugs” by wearing crazy socks, “Showed good character by saying no to drugs” by dressing in their favorite storybook characters and showed they were “Jean-ious by saying NO to drugs” and wearing Muck Bowl attire!

Thank you to all who enjoyed and participated. Ms. Pringle ended the week with her students chanting “say no to drugs” as they exited the building on Friday, Nov. 9. Thank you for all that spirit and spreading this important message.

To see more photos visit bellegladesun.com/schools/pioneer-park-elementary-news.

BELLE GLADE — West Technical Education Center, 2625 N.W. 16th St., will induct 10 students into the National Adult Education Honor Society on Tuesday, Dec. 11, at 6 p.m. in the schools’ atrium. Students chosen for this prestigious recognition are working towards their GED and/or learning English as a second language. The inductees have demonstrated […]

]]>BELLE GLADE — West Technical Education Center, 2625 N.W. 16th St., will induct 10 students into the National Adult Education Honor Society on Tuesday, Dec. 11, at 6 p.m. in the schools’ atrium. Students chosen for this prestigious recognition are working towards their GED and/or learning English as a second language. The inductees have demonstrated a cooperative attitude, dependable attendance, and an outstanding work ethic.

West Technical Education Center is a chartered member of the National Adult Education Honor Society. The mission of the National Adult Education Honor Society is to provide meaningful recognition to deserving adult education students, to improve student employment opportunities, to develop student ambassadors for local adult education programs, and to create adult education awareness with school administrators and state legislators. For more information regarding this event, please contact Cosha Jackson, Assistant Principal at 561-829-4620.

PAHOKEE — Second-graders participating in Pahokee Elementary School’s International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program got a special treat Friday, Nov. 16. They experienced a science lesson that many of the children probably will never forget: a first-person tale of how much you can learn studying just one field all your life to the point where you […]

]]>PAHOKEE — Second-graders participating in Pahokee Elementary School’s International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program got a special treat Friday, Nov. 16. They experienced a science lesson that many of the children probably will never forget: a first-person tale of how much you can learn studying just one field all your life to the point where you become an expert.

For an assembly highlighting one of the six global themes of IB education, “How the World Works,” the youngsters that morning filed in to the school’s media center for a “live” lecture about weather from WPEC-Channel 12’s new chief meteorologist, Erin Christiansen. The West Palm Beach TV station’s audience for its Friday evening news broadcasts was certain to be larger by at least a few classrooms’ worth of kids, their siblings and parents — judging by the excitement in the room.

Ms. Christiansen was treated to a fitting celebrity-style introduction by a couple of the 6-year-olds, all caught on camera as their classmates applauded loudly. Her cheeks newly rosy from the rapt audience’s attention, Ms. Christiansen launched into her interactive talk with enthusiasm that you’d swear might be the product of previous teaching experience. Nevertheless, she didn’t have to work hard to involve the children in the lesson, as all those hands waving in the air made it difficult to choose whom to call on.

Lake Okeechobee News/Chris Felker WPEC-Channel 12 Chief Meteorologist Erin Christiansen, who took over for 42year WPEC Senior Meteorologist John Matthews in August, quizzes Pahokee Elementary International Baccalaureate World School students on Nov. 13.

The TV news broadcaster, who has 20-plus years’ experience, started out by letting the kids know she was new to Florida, having just moved here from Arizona, and she wanted to know how they thought the weather here differs from that in the Southwestern United States. There was no shortage of answers, and most were right on the mark. It was obvious these were some smart second-graders!

Their mission in the Primary Years IB Programs in Palm Beach County, according to Pahokee Elementary IB World School Coordinator Cassandra Moreland, is to develop “competitive global thinkers with high expectations at PES.” She said the staff continually work to prepare students to become “active, caring, lifelong learners who demonstrate respect for themselves and others to be able to participate in the world around them.”

She explained that the program focuses on the development of the “whole child” through age 12, giving the children ideas on how to take control of their own learning while increasing their confidence and self-motivation.

“The holistic educational experience involves the parents, community and partners in learning,” said Ms. Moreland.

The kids taking part last week were studying the “Occurrence of Weather Patterns,” and Ms. Christiansen gently quizzed them on their knowledge of meteorological phenomena in Florida before allowing them to pose particular questions. A special guest was Pahokee Vice Mayor Clara Murvin, who sat at the front quietly observing and applauding the curious youngsters.

“Our second grade is the one that’s really active in bringing a lot of presenters in. They brought in the Pahokee City Commission and city officials who spoke with the kids about their particular positions,” Ms. Moreland said. That assembly was part of the IB “How Do We Organize Ourselves” component.

Then the children wrote letters to the city commission “letting them know the changes that they would like to see within the city.” Those letters are all displayed on hallway walls throughout the school; many of the projects the students produce are similarly displayed.

She said that even the pre-kindergarten kids are having some experiences now in the school’s IB program (“they’re new to the lineup,” she clarified) but the kids in kindergarten through fifth grade learn about more components, six as opposed to just four for the pre-K youths. They concentrate more on enhancing the older children’s educational experience, she explained, because the program has continuity in Pahokee, being in place also at the middle and high schools.

“At the end of the fifth-grade year when they do their sixth one, they do an exhibition where they actually bring parents and people from the community in, and they explain what all they learned,” Ms. Moreland finished.

Pahokee Middle High School participated in the City Place Christmas Concert. Students from the middle and high school entice the audience under the direction of Alain Goindoo, the band director and teacher at Pahokee Middle School campus. The activity was held at City Place in West Palm Beach on Nov. 26.

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Pahokee Middle High School participated in the City Place Christmas Concert. Students from the middle and high school entice the audience under the direction of Alain Goindoo, the band director and teacher at Pahokee Middle School campus. The activity was held at City Place in West Palm Beach on Nov. 26.

]]>https://bellegladesun.com/schools/pahokee-mhs-rocks-city-place/feed/0Belle Glade SunSpecial to the Lake Okeechobee News/PMHS Alain Goindoo built the Pahokee Middle High School band program from zero to 90 students. 5894PMHS music teacher wins Palm Beach Symphony 2018 Instrumental Music Teacher of the Year awardhttps://bellegladesun.com/schools/pmhs-honors-instrumental-teacher-of-the-year/
https://bellegladesun.com/schools/pmhs-honors-instrumental-teacher-of-the-year/#respondThu, 06 Dec 2018 15:00:15 +0000https://bellegladesun.com/?p=5887

PAHOKEE — Pahokee Middle High School music teacher, Alain Goindoo, won the Palm Beach Symphony 2018 Instrumental Music Teacher of the Year Award for Palm Beach County. Mr. Goindoo built the program from zero to 74 students in the first year and now to 90 students in the second year. He created a band program at […]

]]>PAHOKEE — Pahokee Middle High School music teacher, Alain Goindoo, won the Palm Beach Symphony 2018 Instrumental Music Teacher of the Year Award for Palm Beach County.

Mr. Goindoo built the program from zero to 74 students in the first year and now to 90 students in the second year. He created a band program at Canal Point Elementary with grant-awarded instruments from VH1 Save the Music and the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation.

The positive impact of his program transitioned to every elementary school in the Glades region, leading every elementary school to create their own band programs for their students. Mr. Goindoo created a strings program for his students, securing 71 violins, cellos and basses as well as two part-time string teachers. He created a Summer Strings Camp at Lynn University in order to provide for his students and six other Title 1 Elementary schools with free private lessons, small group ensembles, large group ensembles, transportation and food from the highest qualified teachers at Lynn University.

Special to the Lake Okeechobee News/IndieHouse Films Alain Goindoo built the Pahokee Middle High School band program from zero to 90 students.

In addition, Mr. Goindoo also secured scholarships, transportation and food for the Florida Atlantic University Summer Band Camp. Mr. Goindoo created a summer band camp at Palm Beach Atlantic University sponsored by the Honda Classic for 50 underprivileged students, and has secured over $300,000 in grants to support music programs in the Glades area. He recently received Florida State University’s Young Alumni Award for accomplishments in the community and as a professional.

Mr. Goindoo also serves the Pahokee community by organizing annual food drives that provide food to children and their families. Last year, Mr. Goindoo secured 14 pallets of food. Mr. Goindoo also organizes clothing/shoe drives, which provide much-needed shoes, socks, belts, uniforms, underwear and essential feminine hygiene products. Mr. Goindoo also organizes toy drives to provide gifts to children who did not receive anything during the holiday seasons, which he gives to the children in their homes on Christmas Day. Mr. Goindoo has made a huge impact on the Pahokee/Canal Point communities in his years of service.

Mr. Goindoo will be honored at this year’s Holly Jolly Symphony Fête.

]]>https://bellegladesun.com/schools/pmhs-honors-instrumental-teacher-of-the-year/feed/0Belle Glade SunSpecial to the Lake Okeechobee News/IndieHouse Films Alain Goindoo built the Pahokee Middle High School band program from zero to 90 students.5887